Coming up with a Christmas list was so easy when I was 7. Bring on the toys! It was all about me and round-the-clock playing. But being an adult is so ... so complicated!

There are two Scotts inhabiting the same body, and neither Scott is, well, Free.

One Scott is thinking that all I really need this Christmas is to be surrounded by my wife, children, their spouses, the dog, and our siblings and their families, and even my mother-in-law. And honestly, that is all he really needs.

The other Scott is sitting beside the fireplace with a large snifter. He is sipping expensive cognac, a gift he got last Christmas, and thinking that altruistic Scott is, well, a bit short sighted. This cognac, after all, is delicious and has a robust nose, and it warms not only my gullet but my heart.

Scott No. 1 is rolling his eyes. How can you savor fancy booze when the rest of the world has so many needs? Pantries are crying out for donations. Charities are begging for volunteers.

Scott No. 2 shakes his head at virtuous Scott, and says, while those are indeed admirable aspirations, man cannot live on bread alone. He needs, for instance, chocolate. And these mint meltaways are just the tonic at this time of year. They are creamy and smooth, and just what his body needs to indulge a bit during the holidays after a long, difficult year.

Scott No. 1 asks if Scott No. 2 is truly getting the meaning of Christmas. Isn't giving what this is all about? Wasn't the birth of the Christ child the ultimate gift for everyone? It is what you provide for others, not what you receive that matters.

Scott No. 2 sighs heavily and reminds No. 1 that even the baby Jesus got gifts on that day, so there is nothing decadent about having some frosted Christmas cookies or some luxurious eggnog as a way to symbolize things like frankincense, gold and myrrh.

Scott No. 1 is exasperated with Scott No. 2. He think his other half is self-absorbed and preoccupied with the commercialism and materialism. Christmas is about stripping away that veneer of superficiality and relishing the simple principles of love, peace and joy, as the traits that are the most fulfilling.

Scott No. 2 says he knows all about fulfillment. He has all these relatives who are contacting him about his wish lists. They want gift ideas and how can he not help them fulfill those? If he does not tell them what he wants, they will not have the love, peace and joy that go right along with this Christmas holiday, and their experience of giving.

Do you see what I mean? Now that No. 1 has grown up, things have changed. Life was so much simpler when Scott was 7.

Both halves fight, but they secretly love each other. They are inseparable. You can't have giving without receiving. Conflicted is just the way Christmas will always be. Remember, I am only taking this gift because you want to give it to me.

I think I need a little more Christmas punch to keep me from overthinking this. And remember, I am having the punch more for you than for me. You're welcome.